Temperature roller coaster ahead for the Midwest, Northeast
Warm air surging north will clash with cold air and bring the risk of severe thunderstorms, rain and even some snow to the Midwest and Northeast ahead of an early-week cooldown.
A snowdrift turned into a tunnellike “portal” in downtown Toronto after a storm as windblown snow piled high enough for one kid to play inside.
A clash of warm and cold air will set the stage for an active end to the weekend ahead of another cooldown for the Northeast, AccuWeather meteorologists say. Thunderstorms, rain and accumulating snow can all occur as a clipper storm from Canada and associated cold front move through the region.
Notable warmup Sunday ahead of severe storms
Warmth will surge across the Ohio Valley and Northeast on Sunday. Highs will be well into the 70s in cities such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Highs will be in the 80s Sunday in Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.
Closer to the coast in locations like New York City and Atlantic City, New Jersey, temperatures won't be as high but will still reach into the 60s, which is around 10-15 degrees above historical averages for the end of March.
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As the warm air surges northward, it will clash with colder air to the north, setting the stage for severe thunderstorms late Sunday afternoon and Sunday night. Hazards, including large hail, downpours, localized damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph and even isolated tornadoes, can occur in any thunderstorm that becomes severe. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 75 mph.
Those traveling along portions of Interstates 64, 70 and 80 should prepare for delays as any thunderstorm, severe or not, can reduce visibility and cause slowdowns.
Cold air to eventually spread south
Farther north, where colder air is already in place, precipitation can fall as snow or a wintry mix as the clipper storm moves through the region into Monday. A swath of 1-3 inches of snow is expected from northern New York into Maine which can result in slippery spots and poor visibility on roadways. Higher snowfall accumulations can occur across some of the higher terrain in New Hampshire and Maine with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 13 inches.
Much colder air will spill southward through the Midwest and the Northeast into Monday behind the front. Temperatures will be 20-30 degrees lower in some areas of the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic. For example, after a high in the mid-70s on Sunday in Pittsburgh, temperatures are only expected to top out in the lower 40s on Monday.
Those hoping for warmth won't have to wait long as warm air is once again expected to surge northward into the Midwest and Northeast towards late parts of the week. On Thursday, highs can rise back into the 60s and 70s for many. Like the previous surge of warmth, it will not last long as another storm and associated front will move through Thursday into Friday, knocking temperatures back down on Friday into the start of next weekend in its wake.
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